Machine for trimming glass ampoules



Nov. 7, 1944. L. E. CLINE MACHINE FOR TRIMMING GLASS AMPOULES Filed May 3, 1940 8 Sheets-Sheet l Jr-WW Leon E. Clpne 'Nov. 7,- 1944. L. E. CLINE MACHINE FOR TRIMMING GLASS AMPOULES Filed May :5, 1940 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 .n m 8 E /n.

Nbv. 7, 1944.

L. E. CLINE MACHINE FOR TRIMMING GLASS AMPOULES 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed May 3, 1940 Leon Ecol L516 Nov. 7, 1944.

Filed May 5, 1940 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 k 72-3 wfl fl 774 Q 770 I 77 J 723 I z I 6 Q 2:; 77 1 1 .726 v I gwucm/bo b Leora E. (m e, 104? Nov. 7, 1944. 1.. E. cum:

MACHINE FOR TRIMMING GLASS AMPOULES Filed May 3, 1940 8 Sheets-Sheet 7 W C E n w L Nov 1; 1944. I L. MUN-E v 2,36 115 MACHINE FOR TRIMMING GLASS AMPOULES Filed llay 3, 1940 BZShGOtS-ShGBt 8 Patented Nov. 7, 1944 MACHINE FOR TRIMMING GLASS 7 AMPOULES Leon E. Cline, VinelamL N. J., assignor to Kimble Glass Company, Vine'land, N. J., a corporation of Illinois Application May 3, 1940, Serial No. 333,237

' '7 Claims. (01. 49-48) The present invention relates to a machine for severing the necks of glass ampoules. The machine broadly includes a conveying apparatus having thereon means for firmly holding ampoules, severing mechanism, and means for releasing and discharging the ampoules after portions of the necks thereof have been severed therefrom.

In one widely used method of shaping ampoules from glass tubing a portion of the tubing is sofstretched to reduce the diameter of the tubing, thus forming a neck which tapers from each end toward the middle thereof. The stretched neck is considerably longer than is necessary for a finished ampoule and, by a subsequent operation, the

ampoule substantially'at that portion of the taper having the smallest cross section. This may be done either by cold cutting with a knife or saw,

in which case the neck has an open end, or by means of a sharp flame, the latter method not only severing the neck but sealing the end thereof.

The invention will be more fully understood from the following description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred form of machine for carrying out the invention and in "which Figs. land 1"a taken together'showa preferred form of the-invention in front elevation and partly in section;

v Figs. 2 and 2a taken together constitute a top plan view of the machine shown in Figs. 1 and 1a;

operating mechanism therefor;

Fig. 4 is a section taken on line -4-R of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a top plan view-oi adevi'ce for breaking off a portion of the-scored'neck of an ampoule;

Fig. "6 is a side view of the device shown in Fig. 3 is a top plan View of 'a scoring wheel and +10 tened by a flame and this heated portion is extra length is severed from the remainderof the releasing and ejecting ampoules from the ma- 3 chine taken on line l2l2 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 13 is a top plan View of a modified severing means;

Fig. 14 is a front view of the modified severing means shown in Fig. 13;

Fig. 15 is an enlarged elevation of an ampoule showing the relative positions of the ampoule neck and the cutting edge of a scoring device; and

Fig. 16 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a depressing cam for releasing the ampoules.

Referring to the drawings, the supoprting frame for the machine consists of a base plate 29 supported by legs 2!. A motor 22 for actuating the conveyor portion of the machine is illustrated as being fixed to plate on the under side thereof. Vertical shaft 23 is driven by the motor through belt 24, reduction gearing 25, 26, shaft 21, worm 28, and worm gear 29 fast on shaft 23.

Suitable bearings for shaft 23 are indicated at 30,

3| on plate 20 and in housing 32 secured to the underside of plate Zil. Sub-frame 33 on the upper side of plate 20 also has thereon bearing 34 for disc 35;, the latter having a boss 36 thereon secured to shaft 23 and forming one of the races for the bearing. Spaced from disc 35 and from each I other are spiders 31, 38 which are also constrained to rotate with shaft 23 by means to be explained in another portion of this description.

As will be seen inFigs. la, 8, 9, and 19, a relative'ly thin annular plate 39 is secured to disc 35.

, .Adjustably fixed to plate 39 on the upper side 10 is an enlarged section of an adjusting Fig. 12 isapartial sectional view of means for thereof area pair of rings 40, 48 having oppositely directed saw-tooth notches 4| in their peripheral edges. .A second pair of rings 42, 42 are adjustably secured to the under side of plate 39,

the latter pair of rings having rectangularnotches 43, the sides .of which are substantially parallel and radial, in their peripheral edges. The purpose of these notched rings will be explained hereinafter.

Spider 31 carries on the under side thereof a plurality of contiguous forked fingers 44, each aligned with the notches in rings 40, 40', 42, 42, and designed to support an ampoule as the latter is conveyed around the machine. These fingers, of which there are approximately fifty, form an endless annular conveyor rotatable with shaft 23. Each finger is bent upwardly at its outer end and isheld to the-spider by bolt 45, the head of which engages the lower face of the finger as will be seen in Figs. 1a and 12. The bolt passes through the spider, a spring 46 surrounding the upper portion :of the bolt bearing against a 'nut 4! on the bolt and against the rim 48 of the spider. Pin 49 on the rim cooperates with an aperture 5d at the rear of the finger to prevent rotation of the finger about the bolt. Thus it will be seen that the fingers are vertically yieldable.

Spider 38 supports a rim 5| having an'annular radial flange 52 forming an abutment on the under side of which is a pad 53 of rubber or other soft material. The furcations of fingers 44 are designed to straddle the constricted portion 54 of an ampoule and urge the latter upwardly so that the base of the ampoule is held firmly against pad 53.

In Figs. 1 and 2 there is shown a post 55 held to base plate 20 by a bracket 56 which also supports a guide rod 51. The upper end of the post is threaded as at 58 to receive an adjusting nut 59, the latter having a recess 59' in its upper face adapted to receive boss 60' on yoke 60 and thus form a support for the yoke. The nut and yoke are provided with registering holes into which pin BI!" is inserted to lock the yoke to the nut. Arm 6| attached to the yoke is an extension of arcuate bar 62 having a finger depressing cam 62' at its forward end. Aplurality of radial pins 63 supporting rollers 64' are fixed in the bar. Yoke 60 has formed thereon a lateral apertured ear 65 cooperating with guide rod 5'! to prevent rotation of the arcuate bar around post 55. The yoke, furthermore, is split at 66 and may be tightened by means of screw 61 to grip the post firmly. The purpose of rollers 64 is to depress fingers 44 on rotating spider 31 after the ampoules have been trimmed and to maintain them in their depressed positions out of engagement with abutment 52 during further rotation of the spider while uncut ampoules are deposited on the conveyor by an operator. A cam plate 68, Fig. 2. urges the out ampoules out of the supporting fingers. the ejected ampoules being deposited on chute 69. While the fingers are depressed, the ampoules are spaced from pad 53 so that ejection of the ampoules is easily effected.

The machineis designed to trim ampoules of varying sizes and, for this reason, it is necessary to provide means for adjusting the spacing between soider 31 carrying the supporting fingers and spider 38 to which pad 53 is secured. As

seen in Fig. 15, ampoules shaped on a type of machine now used extensively comprise a body portion Hi and an elongated neck portion H, the juncture of the neck and body being constricted at 54. eral sizes, their proportions are substantially the same for all sizes. The ampoule is trimmed by breaking oil the lower or superfluous end thereof in a transverse plane indicated generally by a score line 12. This score is made by a tool to be later described. Obviously, since the length of the body of one size ampoule differs from that of another size, the distance between spiders 37 and 38 must be adjusted to accommodate the particular size ampoule being trimmed.

As will be seen in Figs. 2 and 11, the spiders are keyed to shaft 23 to rotate therewith and are vertically adjustable with respect to each other and to disc 35. This vertical adjustment is effected by means of threaded adjusting rods 13, 14 having knurled heads l5, l6, rod 13 being threaded in spider 3! and rod 14 in spider 38. It is to be noted that bore 7! in spider 3B is somewhat larger than rod l3, there being no threaded connection therebetween. The lower end of threaded rod It bears against disc 35 so that the distance between spider 31 and disc 35 may be adjusted by turning rod 13. In like manner rod 14 bears While these ampoules are made in sev-' notches as far as do small ampoules.

against spider 31 and by turning this rod adjustment of the distance between spiders 3'! and 38 is made.

Although fingers 44 support the ampoules and position them at the proper height, further centering and bracing of the ampoules is desirable. The notched rings 45, 40, 42, and 42' are provided for this purpose. In order to adjust the notches in these rings circumferentially to diminish or increase the distance between the radial sides of the notches, the mechanism illustrated in Figs. 2a, 8, 9, and 10 is provided. The device shown in Fig. 10 illustrates the means for adjusting rings 40, 40' and, since a, similar arrangement is provided for adjustment of rings 42, 42, only the adjustment for one set of rings is illustrated. From the drawings it will be seen that a depending furcated bracket 18 isriveted or otherwise secured to plate 39. There are secured to ring 40. 40', respectively, a pair of depending pivot blocks 19, 80, in which are pivot pins 8!, 82. Each of these pins is threaded to receive adjusting screw 83. having right and left thread thereon and having a slotted head 84. Washers 85 are fixed to screw 83 and engage bracket ?8 to prevent longitudinal displacement of the screw. It is obvious that, by turning the adjusting screw, the rings may be rotated with respect to each other, thus changing the distance between the radial sides of the notches. The adjusting screw 83' having slotted head 84' cooperates with bracket 18' and pivot pins 8|, 82 to adjust rings 42, 42'. These latter pins are held in blocks 19', fixed, respectviely, to rings 42, 42' so that the latter may be rotated with respect to each other in a manner similar to that for adjusting rings 4U, 4U. Arcuate slots 86 in plate 39 and the notched rings are provided to permit attachment of the pivot blocks and brackets thereto without interfering with relative movement of the rings with respect to the plate and to each other.

In Fig. 9 there are shown in construction lines end views of two ampoules, one larger than the other. It will be seen that the longitudinal axis of the larger ampoule is spaced a distance radially greater than that of the other ampoule. This is due to the fact that the depth of the notches of fingers 44 is non-adjustable, thus preventing large ampoules from entering the Hence, the rings 40, 48' are rotated*sufficiently to bring the intersection of the inclined sides of the notches to the desired radial distance from the ax s of rings to limit radial movement of the ampoule neck. The straight side notches 23 in rings 42, 42' are adjusted to a width which permits the ampoule necks to be positioned therein but which limits movement of the necks in a direction corresponding to the path of the conveyor fingers. In this manner the ampoules are accurately positioned and held against movement during the severing operations.

Atfer the. machine operator has deposited a number of ampoules on the conveyor, which is continuously rotated in a counter-clockwise direction as seen in Figs. 2 and 2a, fingers 46 pass rollers 66 and are elevated by springs 45 to hold the bases of the ampoules against pad 53. As shown in Fig. 2a, there is spaced circumferentially from the roller carrying bar 62 and from each other, a pair of scoring discs or saws 8T, 88. These saws successively score the ampoule neck on the opposite sides 01' the neck and in the same transverse plane. The saws are prem ers cmapidlly vrotated, being driven :by :aimotor m tenspen'ded from base plate 20, as shown iniEigfla. 'fZUhe-imounting :and drive connections ifor each saw are the same. Figs. 3 :and :4, ltlaere =is shown one f the saws and the mechanism .ircr

driving the same. .It will .a-be .r-seen :icrom ithese ifigures that :base is iapertured at $0 to ireceive the threaded ilower end of a housing 59L .'-Ilhe vertical position :of this i housing with regand 1.120 .ebase 2210 sis fixed viby nuts 193 tone :above the :plate and the iother below. 1.. him mousing $91 is :28, sleeve :94 which :is secured 1a .zbeaningzming $95.

A tapered :annular :face &5 sat the dipper end rolf lsl'eeve 94 supports an mm 108, mm: zend .of which :sp'lit so that the iarm'may be secured 'to t-he sleeve by tig htening screw .III9. Thenther vend of the arm-carries a'lbeari'ng block 1I III having anti-friction bearings I:II, :ItI2 in --.w'l-iich"- is *journa'led ishaft fI'I3. A space iI I II iin ithe iblodk is provided for lubricant and 'the bottom thereof closed .by a cover II5.. Pull'ey fI I5 iis fast con shaft M5 and is driven from pulley Willi-through belt II'I. Also secured to :shaft -I I3 is the "saw 81. f Saw 88 is driven through'pulleys H05, I I6 and *belt I'I -T' mounted J01]. an am .1118. Shaft I05 carries 'pu'lley 105" at its upper end tand :pu'lley -IJ III at "its lower end.

Referring now to Figs. 1a and 12a, it 'will he seen that motor shaft I'I'=8 has 'fast ithereon 1a pulley IzI-Q dr'iv'ing be'lt L2!) passing 0V6! mulleys IIFI, 1 01, and idler -I 2'I, the latter journaled on adjustable bracket I2 2. The saws 8 I, 88min t'hen b'edr'iven in the direction ef the arrows, as indicated on the drawings, scoring'the ampoule r-neck on :opposite sides thereof. "In aGI'dBI' that the v'saws'be urged against the amp'oules :as they are -c'onveyed past the saws. :a demanding post H.2 3 on arm "I08 is connected'to the eye 1224 of xrod :Il=on which collars I 25, I 26 :are fixedfthellatter :being engaged by one end o)? :a spring 'Ii2-r'I, ithe other :end :of which bears against a fixed =abutiment P28. Collar 126"is adapted toiengage abutment I28 to limit the swing of arm IflB. This abutment -'is bolted "to base plate 120. The pressure :of the spring is thus "imposed ion :arm 1'08 and, since the latter is secured -to sleeve 19!, *the sleeve will rotate in *its bearings as ithe lpOSifiOIl :of thersaw varles. :Similar means for urging :saw 58 into engagement with an ampoiile rare .associated with *arm 108?.

After the .rampou'les have been scored iby th'e "saws, the necks "are *:broken "at the sconeline, theisuperfluoussstock ioeing collected forte-melting. The mechanism "for ibreaking on the stock :is illustrated in Figs. '2, 5, 6, and "'7. Mounted for oscillation on shaft'23 is an arm If30. Adziustablysecured itorarm :I30 is a bracket 113 I having *slots I532 it-herein through which .rscrews 1 33 pass to attach the bracket to the:arm. E'Screw 1'34 threaded in lug .1135 abuts flange I SB onthe .braicket. .By turnin the screw the "position -.of the bracket 'onrarm 430 may bewariied. iBracket :I3iI is provided "with a split socket to receive the lowerend of'post t3?! which in zcarries ta aemovable' and vertically adjustable arm 138 an which is :supported for zrota'tion thereon a 3101161 :-.or Ebrace IJ319. .iA'lso secured to arm I30 -a idepending bracket I 40 .carrying a scam fol- Llower M l which is urged by spring M2 against cam$I.;43,ithedatterlbeingfast on shaft 28. Spring it "is ifastened at one end to bracket I40 'and at its otherend to a'fixed part of the machine frame. Arm "I30 carries a roller I44 which-sup- "ports the arm and permits it to ride on the :npperiacenf base plate 20.

' .Slidably rmounted for movement longitudinally dfitheoscillatable arm 130 is'block I45 to which is pivoted at MIG a "vertically rockable arm I41. .lsecured :to this rocker .arm is an extension :I'48 to which are fastened pin I49 and post .I-50. .Ad- 'ijustably fixedion-post I50 is an arm I5I having clamped thereto bymeans of plate I52 aco'ntact member iI53 preferably m'ade'of soft ;matenial such "as rubber. The exposed edge of the contact :memberi slightly "curved, as shown at :Ir5'4, s-the radius of curvature "being substantially that -o'fxthe pathioitravel of the ampoules. At

- the (forward end of arm a dove-tail .way

EJCCOmmOCIMlBS a cam :piece I56 slidably .adjustiable longitudinally of the way, a screw I5.I coop-eratin'g .witha threaded ear I58 on the .cam piece sand with arm I30 being provided to'posiztion 'the cam :piece :with reference to the "arm 4. 311. .IEXtGDSlUIl M8 isforked to engage cam piece .'I.5.Iizandzcarrcies1a follower I59 adapted :to engage cam I56. Attached to base plate 20 is a guide l fillzinwwhich plunger 'I BI .is adapted toslide, the

i the lower end 0f pin I419.

plunger ibeing vertically reciprocable i and having :atiits lower end a'roller I62 riding on cam I63.

'Thezunperend of the :plunger carries a substan- :tially :rectangular plate I64 :which is engaged by Spring I65 attached ZIZOEEX'IYBHSI'LOII IfiIi'on arm I41 normally urges the arm, tpin dill-9 :and aplunger 'Iiil :toward 'cam L63.

Fllhe :operation .of the breaking-off mechanism liS flS follows: "Cam M3 is designed to move arm I30 aidi-stance substantially =thatbetween adjaicentampcules on the conveyor and :in the direction :of travel vo'f thepampoules at the same speed :as it'hat :of the conveyor, the conveyor being rotated continuously. Arm I411 is constrained "to dollow itheioscillations of arm J30. Cam I63 is idesignedto lift :plunger I61 and pin I49 in timed .relation to the oscillationiof arm I30. When pin ili49zis elevated, arms. ldhand ZI5'I are lifted. In #its elevated;position,-.the ampoule engaging member 4.53 :is removed :from the path of the amvipciules,Ibutwhenthelow side of cam I 63 is under mollentfiZ, spring I55 lowers arms I41 and I5I. Ati-thisrtime cam follower I59 engages the lower portion of cam I56 which is inclined :toward the axis of rthe conveyonthus 'movingarms .I I'I, -I5I and :pin I Hl radially inward. This movement caiuses the contact piece 853 to engage-an amapoule neck near the lower or bell end thereof. "The brace roller is set at a height substantially tin ithesamezhorizontal plane as that of the score .ili-nes ron {the ampoul'e :and is further positioned sto enga'ge lightlyrthe neck of'the ampoule. When ithe :contact piece I53 moves inwardly, it breaks off that ZDOItiOI'l of the ampoule neck below the r-score 3111188. The movement of the contact piece as ;compound, "that :is, it moves circumferentially "with cthe "conveyor at the same speed as that :cf the :ampoules :and cat the same time moves radially inward to impose sufllcient pressure 'on the lower end of an amp'ou'le neck to fracture the neck along 'the line 'of the scores thereon. 'itt is also reciprocated vertically. It is .for this reason' that plate IE4 is sufliciently long and wide to permit the bearing end of the pin to travel in an irregular path on the plate while it is being elevated and lowered. It is to be understood that the breaking-off mechanism is so timed with respect to the conveyor that it successively engage the ampoules as they reach a point opposite the break-off device.

From the breaking-off mechanism, the ampoules are conveyed to the depressing rollers 64 where fingers 44 are lowered to disengage the bases of the ampoules from the pad 53. The trimmed ampoules are then supported more or less lightly on the conveyor and are readily removed by cam plate 68 after which they fall into chute 69.

In Figs. 13 and 14 there is shown a modification of the severing device. In this form of the invention'the saws are replaced by burners I61, I68,

disposed on opposite sides of the path of the ampoules. These burners project a cutting flame against the ampoule necks and not only sever the lower portion of the neck from the remainder of the ampoule, but seal the neck at the line of severance. In other respects the machine operates in the same manner as does that hereinbefore described, the parts of the modified machine corresponding to those previously described being indicated generally by the center shaft 23, spiders 31, 38, and flange 52. The position of the ampoule necks H with relation to the cutting flames is also illustrated.

While a preferred form of the invention has been illustrated in detail and the description reiers to the particular embodiment shown, it is to.

be understood that the parts of the machine may be arranged in other ways provided only that the operations be substantially those set forth herein.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a machine for trimming glass containers, a conveyor for the containers, comprising a pair of spaced members, means for moving said conveyor, a plurality of spaced yieldable holding means on one of said members adapted to engage a portion of each container to urge the container against the other of said members, means engageable with both of said members for selectively varying the spaced relation of said members to accommodate containers of different sizes, a scorer positioned in the path of the containers for scoring the containers, means positioned in the path of said yieldable means and engageable therewith to release containers from the conveyor, andother means positioned in the path of the conveyed containers for ejecting containers from the conveyor.

2. In a machine for trimming glass ampoules of the character described wherein each ampoule has a body portion and a reduced neck portion,ta conveyor for the ampoules comprising a pair of spaced plates, means'for moving the conveyor, a plurality of spaced yieldable holding means on one of said plates adapted to engage the ampoules at the juncture of the body and neck thereof to urge the base of the ampoule against the other of said plates, a second pair of plates spaced from and movable with said first mentioned plates, said second pair of plates having spaced notches aligned with said holding means, said notches receiving the necks of the ampoules, a threaded member engageable with both of said second pair of plates for changing the relation of the notches to accommodate ampoules of varying diameters, and scoring means positioned in the path of the conveyed ampoules for scoring the necks of the ampoules.

3. In a machine for trimming glass ampoules of the character described, a conveyor for the ampoules, means for moving the conveyor, scoring means positioned in the path of the conveyed ampoules, a breaking-01f mechanism spaced from said scoring means in the direction of travel of said conveyor comprising a movable member, means for moving said member into and in a direction transverse to the path of the conveyed ampoules to engage and fracture a scored ampoule, and other means for oscillating said member in a direction parallel to said path of travel.

4. In a machine for trimming glass ampoules of the character described wherein each ampoule has a body portion and a reduced neck, a conveyor for the ampoules, means for moving the conveyor, scoring means positioned in the path of the conveyed ampoules for scoring the necks thereof on a line transverse to the axis of the neck, a brace adjacent the scoring means and engageable with one side of the neck at the score line, a breaking-off member spaced from said scoring means in the direction of travel of said conveyor and engageable with the neck, said member and brace being positioned opposite each other and spaced longitudinally of the neck, means driven by the conveyor moving means for moving said member axially of and transversely tothe neck to engage and fracture the neck, and other means for moving said member and said brace in the direction of and at the same speed as the travel of the conveyor.

5. In a machine for trimming glass ampoules of the character described, a conveyor for the ampoules, means for moving the conveyor, scoring means positioned in the path of the conveyed ampoules, a breaking-off mechanism spaced from said scoring means in'thedirection of travel of said conveyor comprising an oscillatable first arm, a second arm movable with said first arm and rockable in,a direction at right angles to the direction of oscillation of said first arm, said second armalso being reciprocable longitudinally of said first arm, means for oscillating said first arm, means'for rocking said second arm at right angles to the direction of oscillation of said first arm, means for reciprocating said second arm in a direction longitudinally of said first arm, the movement of said first arm in one direction being the same as that of the conveyed ampoules and at the same rate of travel as that of the ampoules, and ampoule engaging means on said second arm.

6. In a machine for trimming glass ampoules of the character described, a conveyor for the ampoules, means for moving the conveyor, scoring means positioned in the path of the conveyed ampoules, a breaking-off mechanism spaced from said scoring means in the direction of travel of said conveyor comprising an oscillatable first arm, apivot member slidable longitudinally of said arm, a vertically rockable second arm movable with the first arm and pivoted on said pivot member, a cam member engageable with said second arm for reciprocating said second arm and pivot member longitudinally of the first arm, means for oscillating said first arm, means for 'rocking said-second arm, and ampoule engaging means on said second arm.

'7. In a machine for trimming glass ampoules of the character described wherein each ampoule has a body portion and a reduced neck portion, a conveyor for the ampoules comprising a pair of spaced plates, means for moving the conveyor, a

plurality of spaced yieldable holding means on one of said plates adapted to engage the ampoules at the juncture of the body and neck thereof to urge the base of the ampoule against the other of said plates, a plurality of positioning means adapted to receive the necks of the ampoules to position the ampoules in predetermined relation to each other, said positioning means including two pairs of notched plates spaced'from and movable with said first mentioned plates, the notches in one pair of plates being substantially parallel and radial, the notches in the other pair having oppositely directed inclined sides, the notches in all of said ampoule positioning plates being aligned with said yieldable means, said positioning plates being movable with respect to each other to vary the width and depth of the notches, and a threaded shaft connecting each pair of said plates for moving the plates of each pair with respect to each other.

I LEON E. CLINE. 

